Charitable graft case: HC to hear Khaleda's appeal

Staff Correspondent: The High Court (HC) has accepted the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's appeal challenging a trial court verdict that sentenced her to seven years in prison in the Zia Charitable Trust corruption case.

The court has also stayed fine and asked the lower court to send documents within two months.

After receiving documents, the court will consider the Khaleda Zia’s bail. 

The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and SM Kuddus Zaman passed the order on Tuesday.

On November 18, 2018, Khaleda filed the appeal on 20 grounds, asking the court to scrap the verdict and fine and grant her bail.

A special court on October 29 convicted the BNP chief in the Zia Charitable Trust graft case in absentia, sentencing her to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.

The three-time former prime minister was also fined Tk 10 lakh and six months additional jail term for failing to pay the fine.

Apart from her, the court also sentenced Harris Chowdhury, political secretary to then prime minister Khaleda; his assistant personal secretary Ziaul Haq Munna; and Monirul Islam Khan, assistant personal secretary to then Dhaka mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka.

The court also ordered confiscation of the 42 katha of land bought in the trust’s name.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against the four at Tejgaon police station on August 8, 2011.

On February 8 last year, the same court sentenced Khaleda to another five-year imprisonment in the Zia Orphanage Trust corruption case.

Her son Tarique Rahman and four others — Kamal Uddin Siddique, Kazi Salimul Haque, Sharfuddin Ahmed and Khaleda’s nephew Mominur Rahman — were sentenced to 10 year in prison in this case too.

However, the High Court later on October 30 dismissed Khaleda’s appeal in this case and doubled her punishment to 10-year imprisonment.


risingbd/Dhaka/April 30, 2019/Mahadi/Mukul